Descriptions

A study of nutrient intakes was conducted on the Southwest
Oregon non-reservation Indian population during June and July of
1980. Participating households were selected by random methods from
a Southwest Oregon Indian Health Project listing of Indian
households in the six-county area. Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls
were obtained by interview method from 504 individuals, representing
226 Indian households; a food frequency questionnaire served as
a cross-check. Ages of the participants ranged from 1 to 81 years.
The dietary intakes, excluding supplements, of calories,
protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin,
and ascorbic acid were computer analyzed for 13 age-sex groupings.
Mean and median nutrient intakes were compared to the 1980
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and discussed as meeting
33.3 percent or less of the RDA, meeting 33.4 to 66.6 percent of
the RDA, meeting 66.7 to 99.9 percent of the RDA, or meeting
the RDA fully.
Iron was the nutrient found to be low most often, with
children ages 1 to 3 years and females 11 to 50 years having
mean intakes from 61 to 87 percent of the 1980 RDA. Calcium
intakes were low for all female groups age 11 years and beyond;
females 51 years and over had the lowest intakes compared to
the 1980 RDA.
Mean and median dietary intakes of protein, riboflavin,
and niacin were close to or in excess of the appropriate RDA
for all age-sex groups. Ascorbic acid and vitamin A were
consumed in adequate mean amounts, but there were large numbers
of low intakes in some age-sex groups.
Data concerning shopping habits, sources of food, food
aid, tribal affiliation(s), cooking and refrigeration adequacy,
consumption of "traditional" Indian foods, and income were
obtained by means of a household questionnaire. A comparison was
made between selected demographic factors and Household Diet
Scores, which were based on individual nutrient intakes compared
to the 1980 RDA.
Households which obtained food from a home garden and
households which canned or froze food for later use had significantly
higher (p [less than or equal to] .05) mean Household Diet Scores than did
households which did not have these characteristics. Income
levels and the practice of obtaining meat from hunting or from
fishing lacked a significant relationship to Household Diet
Scores at p [less than or equal to] 0.05.
The percentage contributions of carbohydrate, fat, and
protein to caloric intakes were: 45 percent from carbohydrate,
39 percent from fat, and 16 percent from protein.
In general, the diets of the Southwest Oregon Native
American population were found to approximate the diets of the
general United States population as reported in the 1977-78
Nationwide Food Consumption Survey in relation to nutrient
intakes and caloric sources.